The City Council endorsed the renewal of a business improvement district along North Figueroa Street to pay for additional security, clean up and promotion of Highland Park’s main business strip. Landowners within the Highland Park Business Improvement District pay an additional property assessment to pay for the services. Not all of the Figueroa Street property owners wanted to pay more. In fact, 20 out of the 41 owners voted against extending the BID and the assessment through 2019.
But, based on the weighted value of the property within the district, the BID was approved by nearly 70% of ballots cast.
Amy Inouye, a board member of the North Figueroa Association who voted in favor of the renewal, said the district needs to focus on attracting more people to the street. “We were more concerned with security and cleaning,” Inoye, owner of Future Studio Gallery, said of the improvement district’s first phase. “Now we need to be more concerned with promoting the commercial district.”
Photo by Waltarrrr/Flickr
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